1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a roof clamp and, more specifically, to a plastic clamp that removable secures itself between shingles to attach a holiday decoration to the roof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A themed, rooftop decoration can enhance the festive beauty of a home during any holiday season. A project to set up rooftop decorations can be a moderately complex task. It is an even more daunting task for those persons afraid of heights. For these persons, any time spent on a roof stabilizing a decoration and weighing it down is too much. A means to quickly attach decorations to a roof is attractive to those persons seeking a simple, one-step method. The present invention provides such a means, wherein at least one roof clamp is secured between adjacent shingles to position and to removably mount a decoration in place.
Similar apparatuses are well known in the art to aid in a mounting of holiday decorations. A search of the prior art revealed no patents that teach the claims of the present invention; however, the following references are considered pertinent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,956 to Fennessy et al. teaches a universal decoration mounting arrangement that comprises a pair of angled lateral portions flanking a central portion such that they are oppositely engaged to frictionally detain the mounting member, wherein teeth are comprised on the lateral portions to dig into the roof;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,727 to Limber et al. teaches a Christmas light clip that comprises a plastic U-shaped clip portion having both a pair of leg sections to provide a biasing force that acts on a roof shingle inserted between them, wherein a different concave light string attachment portion is located on each side of the clip portion; and,
U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. 427,510, 424,418, 422,203 and 414,291, all to Gary et al., show shingle and gutter clips to support decorative and icicle lights, wherein the designs all comprise a base portion having a concave leg that extends from its terminal end and the opposing distal end of the concave leg comprises a convex portion that acts to secure a gutter or a shingle therebetween.
While some of the features disclosed in the foregoing references are claimed in the present invention, others are distinct enough so as to distinguish the present roof clip over the prior art. The Limber and the Gary references all teach light string attachment sections in the form of at least one arcuately shaped, pronged gripping clip. The present invention also teaches a form of a gripping prong that extends from a hook, but it rather teaches an improved prong that is hingedly attached to the hook such that it can be manipulated to support a rigid decoration from various angles.
There is a long felt need for an improved roof clamp that makes a mounting of roof-top decorations a fast and a simple process. The present invention teaches a clamp that is simply inserted between the shingles.